Covered life preserver with automatic cover discharging self-inflation



Aug. 11, 1964 F. L. DAVIS COVERED LIFE PRESERVER WITH AUTOMATIC COVER DISCHARGING SELF-INFLATION Filed Oct. 18, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ticll. a-

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COVERED LIFE PRESERVER WITH AUTOMATIC COVER DISCHARGING SELF-INFLATION Filed Oct. 18, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Tic JEL. l= ic ..'ll.

, INVENTOR. FPA/VK 4. DA V/5 United States Patent O 3 143,751 COVERED LIFE PRESFRVER WITH AUTOMATIC COVER DISCHARGING SELF-INFLATION Frank L. Davis, 30 Mariners Lane, Northport, Long Island, N.Y. Filed Oct. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 317,285 3 Claims. (Cl. 9318) The invention herein disclosed relates to life preservers of the inflatable type.

Objects of the invention have been to provide a safety device of this character, which initially would be folded into small, compact form and be covered in shape for attachment to a person and which could then be worn without discomfort or inconvenience and which upon contact with water would automatically throw off the cover and inflate in position to support the body and keep the head above water.

Other important objects of the invention have been to provide a life preserver of this nature which could be packaged in small space and compact mass for shipment and storage purposes and which could be readily unpacked at any time ready for use.

Other desirable objects accomplished by the invention and the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts through which the objects are attained are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate a present practical embodiment of the invention. Structure however may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in the drawings is a plan view of the preserver showing it as compactly folded in small space for packaging purposes.

FIG. 2 is a front view, showing the preserver as it appears when withdrawn from the box or container in which it was originally packaged, ready to be slipped over the head of the user.

FIG. 3 is a plan View, looking at the back of the preserver and showing particularly the pressure releasable fastenings holding the removable cover in place.

FIG. 4 is an edge view of the preserver appearing in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the inflatable body of the life preserver in flat noninflated condition.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the detachable cover, showing how it may be closed and secured in the closed condition by separable snap fastening elements.

FIG. 7 is an edge view of the empty cover appearing in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8, 9, l0 and 11 are plan and somewhat diagrammatic views, showing successive stages in the folding of the inflatable body or envelope of the preserver.

FIG. 12 is a side elevation of the inflatable body as it appears in the inflated condition.

FIG. 13 is a side elevation showing how the preserver in uninflated condition may be attached to and worn by a person who might have need for the same.

FIG. 14 is a side view showing how on contact with the water the life preserver will inflate and in so doing throw off the cover and support the user in safe position.

FIG. 1 illustrates the possibility of folding the preserver when not in use into close compact form to fit flat in a small box or container 20, suitable for storage or shipment.

FIG. 2 shows how the preserver when taken out of its box will open up into generally triangular form, with the base of the triangle at the top and the apex pointed down- 3,143,751 Patented Aug. 11, 1964 ice ward providing a triangular open space at the center for passage over the head of the user, the base portion then to lie at the back of the neck and the lower apex portion to overlie the chest of the user as shown in FIG. 13.

In the condition shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, there is a cover 21 of generally triangular shape over the inflatable body of the preserver held so by pressure releasable snap fastener elements 22.

The inflatable body and enclosing cover are sufliciently flexible to be compacted into a small space for packaging purposes.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper neck encircling base portion of the triangular formation may be doubled and folded together from the FIG. 2 to the FIG. 1 position and temporarily secured in such folded and compacted relation by rubber bands or the like indicated at 23, the latter to be removed when the preserver is taken out of the box or packaging container.

To make the preserver comfortable for wearing about the neck, a collar of suitable, flexible conforming material, such as sponge rubber or the like, may be attached to and be carried by the cover substantially as shown at 24.

This so-called collar may be in the nature of a soft cushioning pad to rest over the back of the neck.

Its only function is to support the life preserver in comportable position for wearing, ready for service when needed. Carried by the removable cover it therefore remains in service position only while the life preserver is being worn, ready for use and is removed by the cover when it has served its purpose.

The lower end of the life preserver is attached to the person by a strap 25 extending from the lower end of the inflatable unit and having a readily engageable adjustable end portion 26 by which this strap may be connected about the person of the user, beneath the arms as indicated in FIG. 13.

The body of the preserver is illustrated in FIG. 5 as an inflatable bag or envelope 27 of strong, durable, waterproof, gas tight, material, shaped in the form of an arch with the two lobes or sides of the arch connected at their lower ends at 28 and sufliciently flexible to roll and fold in the successive stages illustrated in'FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, into the final triangular shape of FIG. 11.

On inflation, after throwing off the cover the air bag will appear about as shown in FIG. 12, fully capable of supporting a person, conscious or unconscious, in the safe, face up, head above water position shown in FIG. 14.

The automatic inflation means is indicated in FIG. 5 as made up of a gas cylinder or capsule 29 mounted on one side of the bag and having a firing pin triggered by a water sensitive holding washer, such as disclosed in the Albert Roby Patent 3,017,776 of January 23, 1962.

This inflation mechanism is small in size and is such as may be rolled up in the uninflated bag, as in FIG. 9, exposed to contact by water.

As a further safety precaution the air bag is shown in FIG. 5 as having a valved mouth tube 30 on the opposite side which may be used in emergency to fill or to keep up pressure in the air bag. This also is of a size and shape to be readily contained in the rolled and folded bag.

The cover 21 while closely fitting and confining the uninflated bag does not fit in watertight relation, leaving access about the edges for water to freely reach the Water releasable inflating mechanism.

In the fully covered, uninflated condition shown in FIG. 2 the life preserver is a small, light weight, flexible unit, which can be worn as a scarf about the neck and attached about the body where it is out of the way, not interfering with any of the usual body movements but ready for instant service on contact with water.

The device is therefore useful in many fields where there may be the possibility of an individual falling into the water, such as bridge builders, loggers, sportsmen, longshoremen, and the like.

. What is claimed is:

1. A life preserver to be worn attached to a'person in compactly folded wearable condition and to automatically unfold and inflate to full body and head supporting condition on contact with water, comprising an initially flat envelope of flexible, waterproof, gas tight fabric having an open center to pass over the head and foldable on lines forming it into an elongated triangle to rest with its base at the back of the neck and with the apex of the triangle overlying the chest of the wearer,

a strap connected with said apex portion of the triangularly folded envelope engageable about the body of the wearer beneath the arms,

a triangularly shaped removable cover enclosing and confining the envelope in the triangularly folded condition, 7

pressure releasable fastening means securing said cover in said confining state, and

water sensitive gaseous pressure inflation means rolled up within the folded envelope, connected to inflate the envelope and exposed to water contact on submergence, said cover releasably holding said envelope confined in closely folded relation but providing accessibility of water to said water sensitive inflation means connected with the envelope and whereby t t on contact with water the cover will be thrown off and the envelope beinflated to body and head supporting buoyant condition. I

2. A life preserver to be worn attached to a person in compactly. folded .wearable'condition and to automatically unfold and inflate to full body and head supporting condition on contact with water, comprising an initially flat envelope of flexible, waterproof, gas tight fabric having an open center to pass over the head and foldable on lines forming it into an elongated triangle to rest with its base at the back of the neck and'with the apex of the triangle overlying the chest of the wearer,

a strap connected with said apex portion of the triangularly folded envelope engageable about the body of the wearer beneath the arms,

a triangularly shaped removable cover enclosing and confining the envelope in the triangularly folded condition,

pressure releasable fastening means securing said cover in said confining state, and

water sensitive gaseous pressure inflation means rolled up within the folded envelope, connected to inflate the envelope exposed to water and contact on submergence, said cover releasably holding said envelope confined in closely folded relation but providing accessibility of water to said Water sensitive inflation means connected with the envelope and whereby on contact with water the cover will be thrown off and the envelope be inflated to body'and head supporting buoyant condition, and v a collar on said base portion of the cover at the inside of the triangular formation for engagement over the back of the neck of the wearer for comfortably supporting the folded preserver in position for immediate use and removed clear of the wearer when the cover is disengaged.

3. A life preserver .to be worn attached to a person in compactly folded wearable v condition and to automatically unfold and inflate to full body and head supporting condition on contact with water, comprising an envelope of flexible waterproof gas tight material,

open at the center to pass over'the head, 7

means for securing the same about the body of a wearer, s

an enclosing cover confiningsaid envelope in closely folded formation for wearing about the neck and 'removably engageable about said envelope,

pressure releasable means for securing said cover about said envelope, and

water releasable means for effecting inflation of said envelope and the release of said cover from tlie envelope.

References Cited in the file, of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS;

2,621,342 Boyle Dec. 16, 1952 2,950,488 Sabo ...l Aug. 30, 1960 3,002,203 Moran .Q Oct. 3, 1961 3,017,776 Roby Jan. 23; 1962 3,077,288 Henry Feb. 12, 1963 

3. A LIFE PRESERVER TO BE WORN ATTACHED TO A PERSON IN COMPACTLY FOLDED-WEARABLE CONDITION AND TO AUTOMATICALLY UNFOLD AND INFLATE TO FULL BODY AND HEAD SUPPORTING CONDITION ON CONTACT WITH WATER, COMPRISING AN ENVELOPE OF FLEXIBLE WATERPROOF GAS TIGHT MATERIAL, OPEN AT THE CENTER TO PASS OVER THE HEAD, MEANS FOR SECURING THE SAME ABOUT THE BODY OF A WEARER, AN ENCLOSING COVER CONFINING SAID ENVELOPE IN CLOSELY FOLDED FORMATION FOR WEARING ABOUT THE NECK AND REMOVABLY ENGAGEABLE ABOUT SAID ENVELOPE, PRESSURE RELEASABLE MEANS FOR SECURING SAID COVER ABOUT SAID ENVELOPE, AND WATER RELEASABLE MEANS FOR EFFECTING INFLATION OF SAID ENVELOPE AND THE RELEASE OF SAID COVER FROM THE ENVELOPE. 